chicken in a creamy white gravy..... low fat and healthy....

4:54 PM

I am a happy vegetarian but i like my lean meats once in a while . Some people alleged that my blog has gone ghaas phoos ( grass and hay literally translated) as i am not posting any exciting dishes ...as if only meats are exciting . Good food is exciting enough for me , meats or vegetables ...i want good taste.

This recipe is called Murgh safeda ( creamy white chicken ) and is a mildly spicy creamy goodness of chicken cooked without the use of any additional fat . Delicate flavors of spices are fused very well with melon seeds and cashew paste , looking very exotic and tasting like you have done a lot of work on it . And surprisingly it's quite easy and time saving recipe , i don't use any garlic and onion for this and the actual work becomes even less.

Needless to say i make it mostly for guests , one because it allows me to work on some side dishes simultaneously and secondly because i have always got great complements for this chicken dish .... not to forget , it looks and smells awesome on the table ..

These are again dinner time pictures clicked in a haste. Still looks delicious and i can even smell it...

broken cashew nuts ( 1/3 cup )
melon seeds ( magaz ) 1 tbsp
( soak both of them in a cup of hot water when you start working , for 10-15 minutes )

procedure...

Grind all the ingredients of the first paste adding 1/2 cup or a bit more of water and strain the paste using a mesh strainer . Add some water again to the solids and grind again and then sieve one more time . This should yield about a cup of spice extract , reserve this extract for the recipe . The solids can be used for some other curry , i prefer using it for my rajma and kaali daals ... you may like to label it and freeze for later use. If you are making any of these in the same meal it is an added advantage of this recipe .... this has been a huge time saver recipe for me actually. ( and don't worry both the dishes wouldn't taste the same as for lentils you will use a spicy tadka and coriander leaves to finish )...it's no more a secret now....

Transfer this watery extract to the Kadai and add the chicken to it .... heat the contents to cook them covered with salt added . This cooking should be done on low flame as you want the chicken to release it's own juices and fat and absorb all the spices while simmering. You may need to add a bit of water while cooking...

In the meanwhile there is enough time to make the second paste , by this time cashews and seeds should be soft to make a fine creamy paste . Wait till the chicken is cooked through and then add the paste to the cooking mixture.

As you can see the white paste changes the character of the dish at this step . Grate the nutmeg over it or add the fresh powder and mix. Cover and let it simmer for a couple of minutes , you can see the fats of the chicken floating on the surface ...

Add cream if using , mix well and serve hot with thin chapatis or roomali rotis ...

Roomali rotis or very thin soft chapatis are best suited for this chicken dish as it is very delicately flavored and a thin n soft chapati wraps up the flavors really well . among the rice dished we love it with matar pulav or a lightly spiced pulav topped with crunchy fried onions...

Do not add any coriander or kasoori methi as i know you would be tempted to , Just make it like this if you are trying it for the first time and you wouldn't miss any fresh herbs for once...

I make another version of this dish too , as it is an oft repeated chicken dish in my kitchen . That one is a bit spicy and i prefer it when i need a higher spice level . That recipe is coming next to this post , stay tuned ...... i also make a vegetarian dish called paneer safeda and that one is my quick fix recipe when i have guests who avoid garlic n onion in their food.

Older Posts

Newer Posts

chickenfor diabeticslow fat chicken recipes

6 comments

Sangeeta ji, I wanted to ask you an unrelated thing. In Canada where we live, we get only homogenized milk and the butter we get in the market does not taste good. Is there a way to make butter at home with homogenized milk? Can you please tell me the recipe? I want to give homemade butter to my toddler.ThanksPoonam

@ Poonam...Yes you can make butter and ghee from homogenised milk. Get full cream milk , (here we get 6% fat), boil and keep in the fridge for 10-12 hrs. There will be a thick layer of malai over it . That malai you can use for making butter and ghee both. The leftover milk will be like any skimmed milk fit for consumption.I had few more requests regarding this and have taken a few pictures of the process , will post them soon.

Thanks Sangeeta ji, but the problem with homogenized milk is that there is never any layer of malai in homogenized milk. I take full fat milk (3.5% fat, I think) but I never see malai on it. In India I always used to make ghee and butter with milk. Not able to do so here.

Let the milk boil first and then without disturbing the milk , after cooling it down , keep in the fridge . Even if there is no malai visible , the fat will be floating in the top layer , decant it or tilt the pan and scum the fatty layer . If you are able to do this much the butter will be possible. Let me know once you do this much.

About the Blog

Since everyday food is an integral aspect of well being I try and work towards making individuals and
families healthy and happy through this blog. One person's health is magically connected with the
health of the whole family and vice versa. It is not just the food, it is also the way we value ourselves
that decides our health. The most important aspect of health starts from the ingredients and produce
we bring to our kitchen and then comes the cooking part. I believe we must choose our ingredients
wisely, we must eat local produce to get the best of flavours and nutrient profile and we must respect
the seasonal produce for reasons more important than just the taste. Choosing seasonal produce not
only ensures great taste and optimal nourishment, it also helps reduce our carbon footprint. Cooking
everyday food is the other important aspect ensuring health for the whole family, this blog aims to
make each reader getting hooked to cooking. Here I talk about easy fun ways to cook delicious
satisfying meals and to use the inherent wisdom in all of us to make everyday food healthier. All of us
have that inherent wisdom, I try and translate that wisdom through food. Why a bird and an ant knows
what to eat and what to discard and why and how we have forgotten that inherent wisdom, this blog
tries to bring about that awakening for all of us. Personal health always reflects the health of the
planet and vice versa. This blog talks about all this and more.